Lake Hakusui

Lake Hakusui sits at nearly 1,300 meters in Hakusan National Park, about 45 minutes by car from the historic village of Ogimachi. The lake gets its vivid emerald color from hot spring minerals flowing into it from beneath the nearby dormant volcano, Mt. Haku. In summer you can rent rowboats or stand-up paddleboards, or soak at the Oshirakawa open-air bath right on the shore. A campsite open July through September puts you under centuries-old beech and oak trees at night. Autumn foliage typically peaks by late October, and the road up closes to traffic from the end of October until the end of May.